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Press Releases

Church-State Watchdog Group Says Church of Saint Catherine Of Siena May Have Violated Federal Law With Election Intervention

Sep 7, 2012

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a New York City church that endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in its church bulletin.

The Church of Saint Catherine of Siena’s Sept. 2 bulletin contains a column by the Rev. John Farren, a member of the congregation’s pastoral staff. Titled “From Father Farren, O.P.,” the essay reprints an appeal by several former U.S. ambassadors to the Vatican calling on Catholics to vote for Romney.

‘Voices United’ Project Urges Americans To ‘Take A Seat And Make A Stand’ For Individual Freedom – With Over 75 Shows In 50 States

Sep 5, 2012

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today announced its sponsorship of a nationwide series of grassroots house concerts and live shows that will defend and celebrate the vital principle of church-state separation.

“Voices United for Separation of Church and State,” a first-of-its-kind concert series, will take place Sept. 28 – Oct. 1. Over 75 events are scheduled, with at least one in all 50 states.

Church-State Watchdog Says Companies Have No ‘Religious Freedom’ Right To Refuse To Fill Drug Prescriptions

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked a federal appeals court to find that pharmacies do not have the right to opt out of filling certain prescriptions on religious or moral grounds.

A state Baptist group’s endorsement of two political candidates may have violated federal tax law and should be investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, a church-state watchdog says.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today filed a complaint with the IRS about the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) for intervening in the Missouri Republican primary on behalf of candidates for state and federal offices.

The government-sponsored display of a large cross in Frankenmuth, Mich., violates the U.S. Constitution and must stop, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Attorneys with Americans United today wrote to Peter Goodstein, legal counsel for the city of Frankenmuth, and advised him that the continued display of the 55-foot-tall cross in Cross Park runs afoul of the separation of church and state.

Americans United, ACLU Say Settlement Affirms Religious Liberty

Jul 19, 2012

The Enfield, Conn., Board of Education has agreed not to hold graduations in a Bloomfield church in order to settle a lawsuit filed by Americans United, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Connecticut.

The three organizations filed suit against the Enfield Board of Education in May 2010 on behalf of two students and three parents who objected to holding the graduations of Enfield and Fermi high schools at the First Cathedral in Bloomfield, arguing that doing so violated the First Amendment guarantees of religious liberty.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State welcomed a decision today by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that a Wisconsin school district violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution when it held its graduation ceremonies in a church.

Church-State Watchdog Group Says Students Have No Right To Impose Religion On Others At School Events

Jun 29, 2012

A New York middle school student does not have a constitutional right to recite a prayer from the Bible during a graduation ceremony, Americans United for Separation of Church and State has told a federal appeals court.

The case involves a student, identified in court papers as A.M., who wanted to close her middle school graduation speech with a prayer taken from the Old Testament Book of Numbers. The passage, Numbers 6:24-26, is often called the Priestly Benediction.

Church-State Watchdog Group Says Mt. Soledad Cross Does Not Memorialize All War Dead

Jun 25, 2012

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that it will not hear a long-running controversy over a 43-foot-tall cross displayed on government-owned property in San Diego.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State welcomed the court’s refusal of the case. The Christian cross, Americans United says, is not an appropriate symbol to memorialize deceased veterans of many different faith perspectives.